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By George, I found Mr. Auxer, but . . . .

About six months ago, I wrote a blog about how excited I was to find the final resting place of one George H. Auxer. Two trips north to Stroudsburg, first one to find the cemetery, second one to find the headstone, remember the blog? I found him because Ancestry.com posted a group of records titled “Pennsylvania Veterans Burial Cards, 1777-1999.”

Never being satisfied, I wanted more information. Perhaps there was some information somewhere that would help me find out exactly how he fits into my line of Auxers. I found the unit in the Bates book, only there was no George H. Auxer. There was a George S. Auner who enlisted in the unit on the same day George Auxer did, and he was discharged on the same day they said George Auxer did. A mistake must have been made in the transcription of my George’s name, right? Isn’t that what you would assume? Until you go on Ancestry.com again, and then you find a profile with the identical information for George S. Auner and a George Anner, but no George H. Auxer. Are you confused? Let me break this down for you:

1. According to History of Pennsylvania volunteers, 1861-65, by Samuel P. Bates, this unit was originally known as the Pennsylvania Zouaves. Cool! Co G enlisted in Philadelphia 20 Sept, 1861, and our man was George S. Auner. On 2 Nov 1864 he transferred to Co A. So I flip to Co. A, and there I find him, George S. Anner, and he mustered out with his company on 17 Jul 1865. Dates match our Pennsylvania Veterans Burial Card for George H. Auxer.

4. Ancestry.com, American Civil War Soldiers, database on line: George Anner

Since transcription errors seemed logical to me (or I was hoping that’s what it was!) I got on Random Acts of Genealogical Kindness and found a volunteer who will go into the National Archives and copy files for you, for the cost of the printing and her transportation costs. Cheaper than me taking the train into the District, and then a taxi to the Archives, so I enlisted her help. Forty Five Dollars later, I got the file! I was so excited!

Guess who it was??? Not George H. Auxer, but George Sanders Auner, a machinist from Philadelphia and I now know more about Mr. Auner than I ever knew about George H. Auxer and I’m back to square one with a lot more questions!

Where did the State of Pennsylvania get the information for George H. Auxer’s grave? Was it given to them by the family? Was he ever in the service (I doubt it, and was surprised when I found information that said he was.) And why did George die in Stroudsburg when he had a business in Hightstown, New Jersey???

If you analyze the data I’ve found, items 3 and 4 agree with item #1, although after reading the pension file, I now know the name Anner WAS a transcription error! Item #2 stands by itself, and is still a mystery, and is really the only one I am interested in. Besides in May of 1867 when George H. Auxer died, George S. Auner and his wife were welcoming their 3rd child into their home and Auner didn’t die until 1912!

It’s back to the books, databases and that thin air I’d like to draw things out of!